The Parilla

The Parilla motorcycle first appeared in public
in 1946 at a local race meeting held at Lombardy
in Italy.
It was a single cylinder, single overhead
camshaft four stroke 250cc motorcycle. The bike
performed well enough for the manufacturer Giovanni
Parrilla (he dropped an "r" from his motorcycle names)
to construct a series of 250cc bikes at his Milan
workshop. The first 250 Parilla sport could reach 75
mph and produced 14 bhp, whilst the 250 racer made 18
bhp and had a top speed of 87 mph. The cam was shaft
and bevel driven, much like a Norton and the magneto
was mounted behind the cylinder.

In 1948 Giovanni redesigned his racing motorcycles
and installed twin overhead camshafts. With a bore
and stroke of 56 x 72mm and a compression ratio of 7.8
: 1 the racer made 21 bhp and had a top speed of 100
mph. This model featured a forward mounted magneto.
Giovanni was an excellent technician and an enthusiast
who produced well engineered and individualistic
designs at a time when British firms were struggling
with Villiers engines and pre-war designs.

Despite the depredations of the war Giovanni was able to develop his
designs so quickly that in 1948 he was able to produce a range of
road machines. There was a 98cc model 125cc and 250cc models and
an experimental 250cc racing twin. The designer of these machines
was an ex-Gilera factory engineer named Salmaggi who had worked
on the famous Gilera Saturno.

In 1953 a designer called Soncini joined the company and
introduced an improved road range - the Setter 250cc and the
Vetro 350cc; both of these were twin cylinder raCachines. In
addition a 175cc single cylinder, single camshaft model called
the Turismo Speciale was produced. This model featured short
pushrods which were operated by a single cam which was located
high on the timing case. By the simple addition of a high lift
camshaft, modified versions of the 175cc model began to have
some success on the race track in Italy. Giovanni visited the
United States in 1954 and a roadtested 175 competition model
was soon to prove an eye opener for the local market, conditioned
as it was to Harley Davidsons and British Twins. In tests in
America the 175cc single was timed to a road speed of 154 kmlh.
With such a successful initial impact, an aggressive sales
campaign was launched in the United States in 1957 and racing
Parillas were utilised to generate the publicity. Guiseppi Rottigne
was employed as a works rider in 1958 and despite the disadvantage
of having only 175cc managed to win the 250cc Grand Prix at Daytona.
Other race successes were achieved by Tony Woodman who rode for
Parilla from 1959 to 1963.

The United States market demanded larger capacity bikes and the
single was enlarged to 200cc in 1959 and in 1960 to 250cc when
road racing, street and scrambler versions were introduced.
Success of sorts came to Parilla in 1963 when Ron Grant finished
in the US Grand Prix at Willow Springs on a 250 Parilla. A world
Championship round was held at Daytona in the same year. Ron Grant
succeeded in ;etainI~hsecond aher Phil Read and Fumio both had trouble
with their Yamahas, only being beaten by Alan Shepherd on a rotary
valve watercooled MZ.
Further racing success eluded Parilla from now on as the all
conquering two-strokes became more un-reliable and as a result the
finely engineered single could no longer be competitive. With money
running short
and motorcycle sales plummeting, motorcycle production was
suspended by Parilla in 1967.

Giovanni, the master craftsman, died soon after in 1968.
His son continued to produce quality' two-stroke go-cart
engines, the first of which had been developed in 1957, but
motorcycle production ceased.

Despite the odds a rare and
pristine example of Parilla's most successiul racing model
has been maintained by Cecil White. Previously owned by talented
artist Alan Puckett the Parilla was imported from the United States
after being restored by Earl Workman. This example was originally
a work's racing model which produced 34 bhp
at 10 000 rpm and had a top speed of 185 kmh. Cecil quotes Alan
Puckett as saying that the work's motor is very sharp.

The Parilla
racing motor is clean, highly polished and uncluttered. The gearbox
is in - unit and the design is modern looking and in excellent condition.
There are no rough edges anywhere in sight and the fine engineering
expected of the Italian craftsman is clearly evident. In the interests
of preserving the genuine Work's motor a Grand Sports Wildcat Scrambler
motor has been fitted. Alan Puckett had the Grand Sports motor as a
spare and could not resist fitting a brand new motor to a Classic Racer.

This engine makes 27 bhp at 9500 rpm and runs on a 9.5 : 1
compression ratio. The bore and stroke of 68 x 68mm is fed by a
28mm Dell'orto carburettor with a remote rubber mounted float
and the motor is capable of propelling the bike at 175 kmh.
Looking at the bike one is struck by the overall small dimensions,
the narrow scalloped tank and the clean uncluttered lines of the motor.
The engine features a large alloy finned head and a high mounted
camshaft which is chain driven from the crank. The rockers are
actuated by short (50mm) pushrods and are set parallel to the
crankshaf. The pushrods are thoughtfully enclosed in rubber boots
and the overhead valves are controlled by hair-pin valve springs.
This short mechanism allows for high revs and also allows the head
to be removed without disturbing ignition timing.

The frame is a single down tube design with the engine forming a
stressed member of the design. The double cradle rear sub-frame
supports a twin shock swinging arm. The rear shocks are made by
Mulholland and are not an original fitting. The front forks are
made by Mote Parilla and whilst having only short travel appear
to be very solid and resistant to flex.

The Parilla is reputed to be a very tractable bike and will pull
strongly from 2000 rpm to 8000 rpm with a stirring exhaust note.
The four speed gearbox operates in a similar pattern to British
bikes with a right-hand foot change using up for Ist and down for
second and on to top gear.

With the Italian racing red work's motor fitted the Parilla was
a practically unburstable and vibrationless motorcycle which could
compete with the world's best. The finish of the bike is stunning
and a credit to the manufacturers and designers. What could Parilla
have gone onto with a little more success both in racing and the market?
Unfortunately these exquisite motorcycles were too small and too expensive
for American tastes.